


Things Left Unsaid

by Beelzebub_fuckers



Category: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (2012), Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter - Seth Grahame-Smith
Genre: Angst, Eventual Romance, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Reincarnation, Sad with a Happy Ending, Self-Indulgent, Slow Burn, i am ashamed
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-03
Updated: 2020-01-03
Packaged: 2020-11-22 13:27:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 19,311
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20874956
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beelzebub_fuckers/pseuds/Beelzebub_fuckers
Summary: Henry Sturges lost a loyal friend the day of the assassination. Many things were left unsaid. Things he wished he could go back and say. But time stops for no man.But time throws him for a major loop when he gets an unexpected blast from the past.





	1. Saying Goodbye

Sometimes the heroes don't win. Sometimes they do. But victory, for the living, doesn't last forever.  
And neither for the dead.  
Henry knew this long before he ever met Abraham. But now the concept rang painfully true as he watched his protege and friend suffer through the last moments of his life. It was terrible. It was sickening. Abe was sprawled out on a bed, unable to move while Mary held his hand. She was attempting to comfort him, but Henry was unsure if she was even being heard. The scent of blood hung in the air. Now Henry found himself wishing that he could shut out the craving. A wish he'd pondered many times before. But his desire remained. He wished he could grieve without the interruption of insatiable hunger. That he could say goodbye to his friend without the terrible blood lust clinging to his possessed soul. The evil that shadowed his every thought. Once again, Henry was reminded that no matter how he felt, or what he wished, that he was still a monster.  
Abraham's rattling breath stuttered. His grey eyes rolled in his skull, the movements not quite controlled, but he looked at Henry nonetheless. Henry no longer had a beating heart, but his insides still turned at the fear he saw. He couldn't bear to see it.  
The doctor called upon Mary, asking her to step out for a talk. Henry didn't need to hear his verdict to know Abe's life was over. There was no way he could possibly hope to recover from such a grave wound. But Mary stood anyway. It was amazing the composure she had. She was shaking, Henry could practically smell her dread. But she was holding herself together for her husband. With as much grace as she could summon she left her husband behind. Henry was alone with Abe.  
He collapsed to his knees beside his friend. Sitting in Mary's chair seemed disrespectful. He wasn't his wife. He wasn't family. The way of life Henry got him into destroyed his family. The vampires they hunted destroyed Abraham's only son. Now he would die with no children at his side. Henry burned with guilt. Abe was looking at him, expecting something. But Henry didn't know what to say. What could be said? There was no comfort to offer. He wouldn't be okay. Abe would die an agonizing death. Henry couldn't ease his pain, nor could he give spiritual comfort. He couldn't promise his friend something better beyond, or that he would ever see his wife again. There was only one meaningful thing Henry could say to his friend.  
"I'll take care of Mary." Henry promised. "She won't run into trouble. I'll keep her safe."  
The corners of Abe's mouth twitched and his gaze seemed warmer. The unsaid _thank you_ hung in the air. Henry's nervous hands fiddled with the edge of the bed sheets while Abe struggled to draw breath. Mortality was cruel, and it crushed Abraham. He was paralyzed by the bullet that destroyed him. So weak he couldn't even hold his wife's hand. There was nothing he could do for his friend.  
But that wasn't true.  
Henry was uniquely qualified to help Abraham. He was perhaps the only person in America capable of saving the president. Certainly after the Civil War he was the only vampire left with enough power to turn a human. Henry could save him now. Save him from death and pain, from the uncertainty that lay beyond the grave, where Henry could never follow. He could end this right now. Abe could do nothing to stop him. He raised his wrist above Abe's lips, ready to do it.  
But Henry found himself hesitating. It went on for a moment, and then another. Longer than Henry intended it to. Abraham's breath was shallow in his chest, but distinctly faster than before. He was panicking. Pleading brown eyes met Henry. He thought of his wife.  
Abe reminded him of her in a lot of ways. They were both strong, naive, and kind. She couldn't stand to turn away when people were suffering. He shared this with her. It was what made Abraham a great vampire hunter. It was what killed his wife. She couldn't leave when Henry told her to do. They had that in common, too. They never listened to him. And innocence. Henry watched his wife die in pain and afraid. Screaming for help he was too weak to provide. Despite his silence Abe was suffering the same way she did. Could he really let another die on his watch like this? Especially when he now had the power to save him?  
Again he hesitated. His wife had died a torturous death. But she died a human being. Uncorrupted by the demon that had plagued Henry for centuries. She died innocent. Innocence was rare, and fragile. Abe had it. He had a beating heart and a soul. If souls really exist, Henry would be tearing it away from him. Replacing it with an evil that urged him even now to drain the life of the friend he wanted so desperately to save. With the look in Abe's glazed eyes, Henry knew he'd never be forgiven if he did it.  
Mary stood in the doorway with a dark expression. He didn't have to ask what the doctor told her. She looked at him expectantly. She had begged him for his power of resurrection when Willie died. Henry's heart ached for her, grieving mother that she was. But it seemed as though she was leaving the choice up to him this time. Her eyes were urgent with a twinge of hope. Hope that disappeared when Henry shook his head. Now her eyes held only tears. She rushed back to her husband's bedside. These were their last moments together. Henry knew that he should leave. He shouldn't intrude on a widow's goodbyes. But as he left he turned to his departing friend, who smiled gratefully. Another _thank you_ left unsaid.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy shit this will be a doozy. I never expect anybody to actually read this. Why the hell would anyone be reading a god damn Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter fanfiction in the year of our lord, 2019? Or any time before or after that, for fucks sake. But I'm writing this because I enjoy it! And I'm always pissed off that Abe x Henry fics always involve Henry turning Abe out of love. I think it would be the opposite! So I'm writing my own. Besides, that's not the only way for them to be together. Let's go on a journey together!


	2. Famous Last Words

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Abraham meets a compelling stranger on a life-changing autumn day

It was a promising Autumn morning. The air was sweet, the apples were ripe for the harvesting. Abraham lifted himself out of bed and gathered up his work clothes. It would be a long day.  
There were many traditions the Lincoln family had failed to leave behind as the times progressed. The country slowly disappeared when the suburbs began crawling in where farmland once lay flat. Forests made way to grocery stores. Dirt roads disappeared beneath pavement. Long before Abe was born Springfield had been a farmer’s paradise, the main agricultural pursuit was hops. But the Lincoln family grew apples, harvested syrup, ran lumber yards. Now they were all that was left of those old times. The barn still stood, converted into a shop in the front, where they sold old-fashioned goods throughout the year. The distillery in the back came in handy during cider season, when his uncle and aunt made good old-fashioned cider. When apple season was good and gone Abe worked at his grandfathers Christmas tree farm. Then he helped plant new pines in the spring and started helping with syrup collection. It was work that he’d been doing since he was young and helped him appreciate the changing of the seasons and the roots of American agriculture.  
Abe pulled on his worn work boots and shambled out of his room. His mother was making breakfast in the kitchen while his father put on his own work duds. He worked a modern job in the city, but he always took time off this time of year to help his brother make cider. “Well you’re up early.” His father snorted.  
“It’s cider season.” Abe replied, grabbing a piece of bacon while his mother’s back was turned. “I barely slept a wink.”  
“Yeah, you’re a weird kid.” He said, kissing his wife on the cheek. “Been that way ever since you were a boy. No wonder you’ve never brought a girl home. Nobody wants the cider kid.”  
“You were the cider kid.” Abe quipped, dodging the dig into his romantic life. “You got mom.”  
“Lucky bastard.” His mother said with a smile over her shoulder.  
“I am. The luckiest man in the world.”  
Abe ignored their flirtation. He used to be bothered by it, just like any kid would be. Parents are pretty gross when you’re young. But he was glad his parents were happy. Many of his friend’s growing up had divorced parents. It was tragic to see them being used as pawns in their guardian’s petty fights. The fact that they were still in love after all these years was a blessing and a gift. Abe only hoped he’d be that lucky one day.  
Breakfast was a hearty meal, prayed over and eaten quickly so they could greet the long day of work ahead. Abe and his parents got into the car. It would be a long day. Everything was a much deal faster and easier than it would have been in the days when their family first got into this business. With machines to harvest the apples and pick them up off the ground all they had to do was have them brought to the distillery for processing. But there was still plenty to do inside. It was a short drive to the barn. Neatly trimmed lawns and swing sets began to be replaced with apple trees. Machines were already up and running. They rolled between the rows and shook the trees violently, causing all the apples to fall to the ground with several quick movements. Separate tractors came by after to sweep them all up. The morning dew was evaporating in the early sun. Everything was right on the farm.  
His grandparents were waiting outside, smiling at their family’s arrival. “Abraham! Get out of that truck and come hug me!” His grandmother shouted, rushing to embrace him.  
Just like the rest of the family his grandparents were old fashioned. They’d lived through the second war as children and through all the ups and downs since. They were dedicated to the tradition of cider making as much as they were to their family and heritage. His grandmother was a tough little woman who instilled good values with kisses and sharp smacks of her wooden spoon. His grandfather was a gruff man, with strong beliefs and a surprisingly strong body for his age, unwilling to slow down as his back and knees aged. Abe wrapped his arms around his grandmother with a smile.  
Greetings went without a hitch. Abe’s mother greeted her in-laws, his father kissed his mother, they were ready to work. “Lord, I can’t believe what a work horse you turned out to be.” Abe’s grandfather said to him. “We could’ve used you before we had all these new-fangled machines. Tall as a house, you are. Strong as an ox. It’s a shame we didn’t have you. You’re washing apples this year. I’m gonna have you supervise our newest addition. He’s new, and he’s a strange kid, but he’s hardworking. Henry! Get your ass over here!”  
A young man approached the family. At least he looked young. Something was odd about him, not just the piercings and round sunglasses he donned. His movements were smooth and graceful in a way that was almost unnatural. His arms were loose at his sides, but he stood tall, with perfect posture. His hair was long and messy and was spiked up in the front with loose curls in the back. The clothes he wore were clearly meant for working in, but were altogether too neatly pressed. His sunglasses and jewelry looked expensive, but he was working on an apple farm. A silver cross glinted on his chest. He reached out and shook hands with Abe’s parents before turning to him. That was where things got even stranger.  
He hesitated when he saw Abe, he looked taken aback. Shocked, even. Like he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Abe felt himself blush. Did he have something on his face? His hand came up automatically to check around him mouth. But the moment passed quickly. Again, the stranger reached his hand out in greeting, and Abe took it. It was cold. Colder than he expected it to be and it made him shiver. But Abe passed it off as the early morning chill clinging to him.  
“I’m Henry.” The man said slowly, and there is where his accent came out. Strange, old. It betrayed no particular origin but Abe imagined it had to be European of some sort. “Henry Sturges. I’ll be your partner today, am I correct?”  
“Yep! Henry will deliver the apples to you, you wash them and feed them into the crushing machine. If he’s slow give him hell for me, okay?” His grandfather grinned and Abe smiled nervously.  
“Uh, yes. It’s nice to meet you Henry. I’m Abraham. But if you have to use my name call me Abe.”  
Again, the stranger seemed surprised. What was his deal? He was acting like Abe was a freak. He self consciously checked himself again. But he was interrupted by his father. “Well we don’t have all day. Let’s work until we drop!”  
Everyone agreed, and with that they were shuffling into the barn, leaving behind the strange man with the round sunglasses.  
But that wasn’t the end of Abe’s encounters with him.  
Throughout the day he dropped by to feed apples onto the conveyer belt, which fell into the basin Abraham was rinsing them in. Each time Henry stopped by Abe felt the burning gaze of the man boring into him. Inspecting him like an insect under a magnifying glass. Every time it made Abe squirm. He tried to focus on feeding the apples into the machine that pulped them, but every time Henry returned his attention turned to the stranger. Abe was embarrassed to admit he held an equal curiosity in the man. The way he moved was still a mystery, as was his strange appearance and voice. The more time Abe spent observing him the more strange things he noticed. Such as his loose grip, he held and handled things with unnerving ease. Like it was a waste of strength. Strength that radiated from his mysterious demeanor. Untold power and secrets hovered in the air around Henry.  
Abe shook his head, attempting to rid himself of the silly infatuation. What was wrong with him? He was acting like a schoolgirl with a silly crush. Having ridiculous thoughts about a total stranger. He pushed the floating apples along the water into the belt that raised them into the grinding machine. His mother approached to take another load of the pulp. The crushed pieces would be drained of juice. Made into cider. But something still bothered him about the stranger. He seemed familiar. Alarmingly so. Not just in the way that reminds you of someone you know tangentially. But the kind of familiarity that suggests a deeper connection. Which in this case seemed quite impossible. But he couldn’t shake the feeling.  
The day wore into the afternoon when they stopped to have lunch. Abe’s grandmother had prepared the crockpot for this very purpose. Every worker grabbed a bowl of chili, an apple, and a roll of bread. Henry sat at a table alone, eating his lunch quietly. Abe knew that he should sit with him family, but his curiosity was getting the best of him. He was walking to the empty chair before he could stop himself. Henry looked up at Abe over his sunglasses when he pulled out a chair, causing him to pause.  
“Sorry, should I not sit here?” Abe asked anxiously.  
Henry shook his head. “Please, make yourself comfortable.”  
With that Abe sat across from the stranger. An awkward silence fell over the table. Abe found himself pushing beans around his bowl to use some of the anxious energy that was building inside of him. What now?  
In a moment of impulse Abe’s mouth opened. “What brings you to our farm? We haven’t had a new worker in, I’d say about twelve years.”  
“I moved here recently on business.” Henry said lightly. Abe waited for him to elaborate, but that was the end. More secrets. The more he didn’t know the more the stranger intrigued him.  
Abe wouldn’t be deterred so easily. “Oh, that’s great. Newcomers are always welcome here. Springfield is a very old community. Lots of families have been here for generations. I’d be happy to show you around town sometime.”  
Henry gave a polite smile that failed to feel genuine. “Thank you, Mr. Lincoln. But that won’t be necessary.”  
“Oh, call me Abe. Everyone does.”  
“Is that seriously your name?” Henry said suddenly. “I mean really, is your name Abraham Lincoln?”  
Abe flushed with embarrassment, he found himself rubbing the back of his neck nervously. “Uh, not really. I mean, that’s my name. Really my name is Joseph Abraham Lincoln. But that’s my father’s name, so everyone calls me by my middle name.”  
Henry hummed with interest and then fell silent again. Abe was tearing his roll to bits without even realizing it. “What’s your whole name?” He asked.  
“Henry Sturges. That’s all. No middle name.” He replied.  
“Ah.” Abe said. He was quickly running out of conversational topics. This stranger was an expert at dodging questions it seemed. Was Abe being a pest? He suddenly found himself taking a swig of water out of the Styrofoam cups his grandparents provided. When did his throat get so dry?  
“What brings you to the orchard?”  
Henry’s mouth twitched. “Pardon?”  
There’s an unusual word choice. He can’t remember the last time he heard someone say the word “pardon” in a sentence. “You don’t seem like the kind of person interested in apple farming.” Abe said. “Or at least, not somebody who’s been doing it for long. You look young, modern. What brings you to our orchard.”  
Henry’s eyebrows creeped up towards his hairline and his dark eyes peered at Abe over his sunglasses. A sardonic grin spread over his face. “I think you’d be surprised at the things I’ve done before.” Henry said, voice full of dark humor. “But you’re right. I’ve never been an apple farmer. Nor a cider maker. I just wanted to try something new. I’ve got all the time in the word, right? Might as well experience what the world has to offer.”  
“What else have you done?” Abe asked eagerly. This was the moment he’d uncrack the vault!  
Henry opened his mouth, but they were interrupted. “Alright, get your asses up! We’ve got a whole other field to clear and we’ve only got half a day left! I want the apples harvested before the first frost so get moving!”  
In that moment their connection was broken. Abe felt the sinking ache of disappointment. He’d seen the cracks in the armor Henry wore. There was a glint of humor. A promise of secrets. Of a life story he had yet to learn. Now who knew if he’d ever find out. Henry was picking up his empty tray, his face neutral once again. Abe was about to say something but he was walking away. Something changed in Henry. A sort of determination renewed. Like something transpired in that conversation that Abe had missed entirely. Something Henry wanted to avoid happening again.  
The rest of the day was silent between Abe and Henry, but Abe still felt eyes on the back of his head anytime he turned around. Still felt drawn towards the stranger on the tractor.  
Hours wore on while the sun crept across the sky. Abraham continued washing apples brought to him, helping his mother haul the pulped remains. The process was repetitive in a way that was both comforting and numbing. His mind fell into the monotonous routine and went white with the hum of machinery filling his ears. It returned to the stranger again. The mystery he’d spent his lunch trying to unravel and the rest of his day obsessing over. Why? Why did this matter so much? He was just a strange man with unusual habits and a funny voice. He was just a man of unknown, possibly European origin on a New York cider farm working while he took care of unnamed business in the area. Couldn’t be simpler. Couldn’t be less of Abe’s business.  
But curiosity is a folly of man. And Abe burned with it. He would uncover the secrets of Henry Sturges even if it killed him to do so.  
Famous last words.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been reading the novel for the first time and I've got to say there are some compelling elements. The tense relationship between Abraham and his father, the lies Abe's father protected and the fact that he KNEW his wife died of a vampire bite. Henry's future vision and envy of mortals. He describes the life of vampires and the nature of their condition which I found fascinating and will probably incorporate elements of that into this as the story progresses. I think this story will be a mix of the elements I find best from the two sources. For instance I don't like how quickly Jack Barts died OR how quickly Henry revealed himself to be a vampire. Some things the movie did better but the book is a more elegant story. I'm in it for the long haul guys! Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is NOT a totally dead fandom!


	3. Uncertain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Henry can't stop thinking about the boy he met at the apple orchard

Henry had seen a ghost today  
A young man that looked EXACTLY like Abe had shown up at his new place of employment. Which had been shocking all on its own. But he acted, sounded, even smelled precisely like Abe had. The sweet, strong smell of the woods clung to him. Mixed with the musk of a man and the hint of something unique to Abraham. It was as if Abe was before his very eyes once again, in the twenty-first century nonetheless. After all this time it was hard to believe.   
Not just hard. Impossible.   
Henry needed a drink. His coffee machine gurgled and produced hot liquid. Coffee was a modern delight Henry had grown very fond of. Warm, comforting, and energizing. Henry found it to be a relief when he felt like immortality was crushing him. When he came back from a hunt sore and defeated coffee was his reprieve. As soon as the machine stopped dripping, he took a deep swig directly from the pot. Rich, bitter beverage overtook his senses. Warmth radiated from his belly. It was just as soothing as he remembered it to be.   
But not enough. He needed the strong shit for this.   
Henry rummaged through his cabinets, feeling tired, and pulled out a bottle of whisky. He impatiently popped the cap off and took a few heavy drinks.   
Much better.  
He through his body onto the couch. The sun was set, the day was over. Vampires enjoyed the comfort of sleep, especially during the daytime hours, but they had no need for it. Henry laid awake thinking of the man that never left him.  
After Abraham’s death, Henry resolved to forget. To put the past behind him. He would find a new hunter. He would move on with his eternal life. That was all he could do.  
But Abe managed to follow him wherever he went. They carved his face onto a mountain. They put him on a throne in the nation’s capital. Statues of him were scattered across the country. Henry would occasionally meet Abe in a public square. Wise, gentle eyes looking down at him. It was more than a man could bear.   
Slowly Henry was crushed by his loss. Unlike the immediate loss he felt when Edeva died the loss of Abraham was something that got harder to handle over time. Loss compounded by the inability to forget and the regrets of a time long past. Grief struck him when he was alone. Futility followed him in the day. He thought of Abe all the time. A life stolen from the world by a man who would’ve gone forgotten without his terrible sin. A man so insignificant as to be meaningless. But he took away everything meaningful.  
Henry was tormented by dreams at night. Not dreams of guilt. But dreams of love. Dreams swelling on dark curls and grey eyes long out of reach. Dreams of sunny days in the woods that irritated Henry. But Abe loved them. He always looked so good in the sunshine. Eyes closed in bliss during the breaks in their training. Sweat shone on his skin, face flushed, hair plastered to his forehead. But he was at ease in the world. And so very alive. Abe glowed with life in the most fetching way. Henry desired him more than he cared to admit during their time together. Even to himself. He was more brutal than he needed to be when they fought. Drawing blood during their brawls more often than not. Basking in the delicious smell of him. Enjoying the ripples of muscles when he swung his axe. Henry enjoyed his stories the most. His stories were well paced and brilliantly told, with just enough passion and comedic timing to have you hanging on to every word. But serious when the occasion called for such. And the words he spoke. He was a master of words. It’s what made him a great politician.   
Everything he loved about Abe was unique to him. The other young men he recruited for vampire hunting weren’t nearly as strong or witty. They were always so consumed by vengeance; they never knew when to cast it aside for the greater good. For the sake of helping others. They were selfish where Abe was selfless. He set aside Jack Barts. He hunted after Jack was dead. For the sake of helping strangers. Making the world a better place. His dedication to the betterment of the world was unique to him. As was his stamina and brilliance with the hunt. So many of his recruits since turned up dead. Sucked dry in the streets or the river. Henry turned his back on them. Unwilling to bond with another ever again. It would only bring him more pain. This anguish he felt, it was a permanent death. A death that walked beside him every day, tormenting him with the ghost of memories long gone. With a person he never even got to tell how he felt. Who never loved him back.  
But now…  
It’s impossible to believe that Abe was back from the dead. He was so similar in every way. But Henry never remembered Abe being his nervous. Like an awkward boy still growing into a young man. Surely Henry was just going mad. Yes, a comforting arrival of madness after all these centuries. It would be a welcome alternative to the possibility slowly dawning on him.   
Reincarnation was not necessarily a new idea. It was an eastern idea for sure. Many oriental religions had a belief in rebirth. Henry never had much faith. What belief he had in benevolence died the day his wife did. God died the day Henry did. When he was cursed for eternity to live without her. But could it really be true that souls could be reborn?  
The thought was conflicting. Henry was delighted at the idea of getting another chance with Abe. A chance to see him again, to protect him when he failed last time. A chance to set things right. But then he thought of Abe dying again. He would die again. He’d never corrupt Abe’s mortality. That was one thing he did not regret. Letting Abe die with the dignity of a human being was better than living with the torture of infinity.   
Such was the life of the undead. Endless loss, unending change. The world Henry was born into was all but extinct, as were the people who occupied it. Replaced with new ideas and morals and knowledge. This was a good thing, in Henry’s opinion. It was the natural order. The ignorance and cruelty of the past was mended by the young who replaced them. Every generation was better than the last. Wiser and kinder. It was a property unique to human beings. Which is why Henry stayed alive. To protect that power. Protect the will and growth they possessed. The world humans had made would be impossible in a vampire dominated society. Nothing would ever change. Nothing would get better. It would be endless chaos and suffering. A world dominated by man was the world Henry and Abe sought to protect. That is what Abe was remembered for. Bringing change.   
And what of Henry’s power of prophecy? The future was uncertain, even to vampires with their power of vision. The future was a fogged window they could see the shapes and colors through, but they never got the clear picture. He could not discern if this boy truly was Abraham Lincoln reborn. However, one thing was sure. Whether this boy was Abraham Lincoln reborn or not, Henry knew already what he WOULD be.   
He was destined to be a great vampire hunter.   
Henry was troubled by this revelation. It was the same vision he’d had with the first Abraham. Lincoln was undoubtedly the greatest vampire hunter of that century. Possibly any century. He was a man of great integrity. One who’d never personally killed anyone. But he was a well-oiled machine of vampire extermination. It was hard to imagine the orchard boy being the same kind of hunter Abe had been. But he was certain. This boy was a destined hunter. He couldn’t ignore this. The boy had to be trained and protected, lest he fall into the unmerciful hands of the dark forces that stirred in this town. Springfield was a growing vampire colony. Henry was here to keep things under control. Having the orchard boy would certainly help, especially if he proved to be the hunter his destiny promised.   
Did others know of this? All vampires had some ability to see the future. They must know there was a future hunter in town. One that was weak and untrained. There was no certainty that they didn’t already have their eyes on the orchard boy. Abe was vulnerable as he was now. Ripe for the killing. The future didn’t promise Abe safety, it was malleable to change. Every seer knew this. They would be after him.  
Abe was in terrible danger.


	4. Vampire Hunt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Abe's worldview is shattered

Wind whispered in between buildings. Tree branches shuddered in the night breeze. Abe pulled his hood up over his head and put his hands in his pockets to conserve warmth. The streets were empty, the only sound was the occasional scratching of dry leaves moving over the pavement. Abe was taking a late-night walk. This was not typical behavior for him. But Abe found that he couldn’t sleep. The past few nights had been filled with restless dreams. Vivid imagery of a time long passed. The context changed often. Sometimes he was on a cobbled street, or a forest at night, or a dark basement stained with blood. But all these dreams had one thing in common.  
In all of Abe’s dreams, he was hunting vampires.  
Occasionally he would have a dream of that stranger from the orchard. Henry kept showing up in these dreams. Dressed in fine clothes at a formal event, Abe believed this to be a wedding. Or throwing punches at him in a sunlit forest.  
Or bent over a rapist in a dark alley, blood dripping down his face. With eyes like dark marbles and fangs showing through snarling lips.  
The dreams were vivid and detailed. Abe was almost tempted to call them memories. But that was preposterous. There were no such things as vampires. Henry was not a vampire. He did not belong in the 1800’s. He was not a vampire hunter in early America. Perhaps he WAS going crazy. Hence the walk. Abe was attempting to ground himself in the real world. The town of Springfield, New York. With its forest and creek and sprawling fields. The air was crisp and earthy, Abe took deep, greedy breaths to soak in the essence of fall.  
Stars twinkled in the night sky. Abe was disappointed to say that over his lifetime the stars had been disappearing while development and streetlamps came in. The country was disappearing into the pavement and light pollution of the modern world. The cold night air gave the best view possible. The sky was very beautiful regardless. In his dreams the stars were gorgeous. The night sky shined with billions of stars over dark treetops. Henry was there with him, sharing the beauty of the world. He would tell Abe about the constellations and the history of astrology while Abe listened in fascination. He would talk of Galileo being put on trial for telling the truth of the universe. He would talk of ancient civilizations mapping the movements of the stars and what that meant to them. To him, space was a real thing, not just something he looked at in wonder. Abe remembered admiring him for that.  
Abe’s attention was snatched away from his inner thoughts when he heard the crunching of fallen leaves. Distinct footsteps in the trees. Abe looked over, confused. Almost no one was out this late. Maybe it was some drunk kids?  
But the steps went silent when he looked in their direction. Abe turned towards the woods, pretending not to be nervous, and called into the silence. “Hello? Is someone there?”  
His hair stood on end and Abe felt the rush of adrenaline. He felt a distinctive fear of danger. Like prey being stalked by a predator. His instincts screamed at him to run. Something was wrong. Even if it didn’t make sense, he knew something was wrong. That feeling caused him to turn tail and run.  
The heavy footsteps behind him confirmed the danger. He was being pursued. Abe used his knowledge of town to his advantage, ducking between alleys and sprinting over lawns to try and evade the stranger chasing him. His heart was racing. Sweat soaked the flannel he wore. There were more footsteps. There was more than one person behind him. How many? Two? No, three? Abe didn’t dare look behind him. All he needed to do was get home. Once there he could lock the doors. Maybe grab a weapon if necessary. The gun was locked in the gun safe, but even a knife would help at this point. He took a turn into an alley.  
And ran into a wall of solid muscle.  
Abe fell ass backwards onto the pavement. He looked up to see a smiling gentleman in a long black coat. But the smile didn’t ease his fear. Something was off about this man. Abe’s skin crawled when he looked at him. He couldn’t place it, but something was unsettling about the stranger. Was it his eyes? Dark as coal with no feeling behind them. Maybe his fingers? Which seemed unnaturally long and thin, with nails that were just sharp enough to inspire nervousness. A pair of sunglasses were perched in his curls of black hair. Which was odd considering the hour. Why weren’t they in his pocket?  
Abe let out a sharp breath, which turned to mist in the air. That was when he realized the stranger wasn’t breathing.  
Fear gripped his heart when the pack behind them closed in. He was surrounded on all sides. Abe finally turned to look at his pursers. He was surprised to see three women. A woman with glittering beads woven into dark braids, black skin, and a set of expensive rings on her fingers. Another black woman with short cropped hair and gold piercings from her lips to her ears. And a small white girl with a crop of red hair tied back in a bun. Deadly eyes glared at him from all sides. Abe turned back to the man in front of him.  
“What do you want?” Abe said, struggling to keep his voice steady. “I don’t have any money on me.”  
The group laughed. “No, we’re set financially.” The man said. “I’m just here to see if the rumors are true. Abraham Lincoln, in the flesh. I never thought I’d ever get to meet the legendary hunter. You caused quite a stir in your hay day.”  
Abe squinted, confused. “Pardon me?”  
“Ah, yes. You wouldn’t know of all that.” He said. “Excuse my manners, Mr. President.” The last words were drawled with a considerable measure of sarcasm. More snickers rose among the women behind him. They were drawing near, closing in on him.  
“You are completely off your rocker.” Abe said. “Is this some kind of joke? I get the schoolyard teasing I got, but this is just…”  
“Oh no, don’t take this as insincerity. You really were a great hunter. If you’d lived longer than you did you might have wiped vampires off the face of this nation.” Abe’s blood ran cold while the man rambled on. “You forced us into obscurity. I intend to end the possibility of that happening again.”  
Hands grabbed the collar of Abe’s flannel, hauling him to his feet. Now he stood above them all. “Goodness, you are gigantic. Guess that’s what we can expect from the tallest president in history.”  
Abe threw a punch, landing right in the center of the stranger’s face. His target hunched over, clutching his face. He heard drops of blood hitting the ground. There. Vampires didn’t bleed, right? That proves it.  
But when the stranger stood again his nose was dripping black sludge. Thicker than blood, darker. It smelled foul. It actually looked like used motor oil more than blood. The man’s eyes were the same color, not a glimpse of white or iris. Total void. Abe’s heart stuttered.  
“Now that was not very polite.” He said. “Ladies, tear his arms off.”  
Then he started fighting like hell. Abe threw his weight forward. He expected to shake them off, or perhaps even knock the women to the ground. But they were surprisingly strong. Supernaturally so. They still faltered though and that’s all Abe needed. He wrenched his arms out of their grasp and swung his elbow back towards their faces. The braided black lady caught his arm and squeezed hard. Abe cried as his bones strained under the pressure. She was going to break his arm just by hold alone! Who were these people?  
The other woman grabbed him from behind. Her mouth open and a pair of threatening fangs gleamed in the moonlight. She was aiming for the neck. But Abe kicked his legs. The woman holding his arm stumbled back to avoid it, and Abe was free to throw his elbow backwards into the woman’s ribs. The redhead was upon him now, kicking him hard in the back of the knees. Abe was falling to the ground.  
All four of them were on top of him now. Abe flailed his arms desperately. They were crushing him underfoot and he found it hard to breathe. Claws tore his clothes. Fangs snapped over his head. This was the end. This was it.  
Suddenly the bodies were thrown off. The sudden relief of pressure made Abe dizzy and he looked up incredulously at Henry. Henry was dressed the same way he had been at the farm, but he looked very different. Veins pulsed under thin, nearly translucent pale skin. His eyes were red and bloodshot, with pupils so large they engulfed his irises. Fangs glimmered between a pair of curled lips, raised in a snarl like a wolf. Abe gasped in alarm at the sight of the monster. The sight was one he was familiar with. But he never thought he’d see it outside of a dream.  
“Ah, the traitor shows his face.” The ginger said. “Bold move. Stand aside, or we’ll maim you terribly.”  
“You think the people of this town won’t notice? Too many killings attract attention. You know what that means.”  
The group glared at Henry. “We can handle a few measly hunters.” The one with braided hair said. “This one, however…”  
“Cowards.” Henry spat.  
“Cowards?” The man spoke up. “Says you. Sending other young men to fight your battles for you. Sacrificing the lives of living people to settle your debts. How many teenagers have you sent to die at a vampire’s hands?”  
“Only the living can kill the dead.” Henry said. “Some people are willing to sacrifice themselves to protect the people they love.”  
“Oh? What were you willing to sacrifice?” The young black woman smirked. “You let this one die. You could have saved him. You had the power to make him immortal. Now I wonder… why didn’t you?”  
Henry suddenly snatched the collar of Abe’s shirt and hauled him to his feet. The vampires started running after them but Henry pulled Abe along, he seemed to know where he was going. Abe stumbled after him, trying to keep up with the vampire’s quick pace. The pack behind them moved quickly, occasionally grabbing the sleeves of his shirt. But after they shredded it with their claws earlier it just fell away in their hands, bringing back ribbons of fabric instead of the prey they were after.  
Suddenly Henry was pushing Abe through the front doors of the church and throwing the doors closed behind them. The heavy wood helped to hold the line, but only for a moment. Henry threw himself against the door and pressed his weight up against them in order to keep them closed. “Grab the cross!” He shouted at Abe.  
“Whuh?” Abe said elegantly. He was still lightheaded from being attacked and then running across town.  
“THE CROSS ABE! GRAB IT!” Henry screamed. “OR A CANDLESTICK! ARM YOURSELF!”  
Abe did as he was told and grabbed the cross. Just in time. Henry was thrown aside as the vampires busted in the doors. Faster than Abe’s brain could process, the vampires were descending upon him again. Pure instinct forced Abe to swing the cross, using it as a weapon. The vampires shrieked as the man was struck down, skull dented by the cross. It shined in the moonlight, and Abe finally noted that it was made of silver.  
Silver. Right. Vampire hunting 101. Abe shifted his feet farther and bent his knees. He was tired, but he was ready. But the vampires seemed hesitant to approach him now, eyeing the weapon in his hands anxiously. The man he’d struck growled and struggled to rise to his feet, glaring at Abe. His hand twitched, nails sharp and ready.  
“Alright. If that’s how it’s got to be.” He said. Fangs were visible in his open mouth and all the vampires steeled themselves, attacking again.  
Henry joined the fray. The next moments seemed to go by so quickly, in a blur of adrenaline and long-lost instincts Abe swung his cross with a grace he thought impossible, bludgeoning the vampires terribly. It could have been an hour, but to Abe it felt like only a few seconds. Henry tore with fangs and claws while Abe beat at the vampires he dealt with. The black women seemed preoccupied with Henry and were more skilled fighters then the couple Abe was meant to deal with. Though the vampire man was already injured. Abe was a smooth fighter, a skill he’d never trained for, at least not in this life. He struck them around the jaws, neck, and head. Where they were vulnerable, and tried to knock out their deadly teeth. The red headed woman, once beautiful, was now mangled. Her jaw hung loosely and her left eye socket was empty and bloody. She swiped at him with long nails and screamed hoarsely. The man was in worse condition, his skull dented so terribly as to be misshapen, broken in some places. The smell was horrific. Rotting and sulfuric in a mix that turned Abe’s stomach. But despite their condition they did not die or fall down. How could they still be fighting?  
Claws scratched violently at Abe’s chest, and blood flowed down. Every vampire in the room swayed on their feet. Henry turned towards Abe, eyes glassy and hungry with bloodlust. The other vampires had the same look in their eyes. His blood was not like theirs. Sharp in smell, a healthy red, warm with life. Abe felt like a mouse staring in the eyes of an especially large cat. He was in danger and he knew it. If Henry betrayed him it was all over. There was no way he could fight off all four of them.  
But Henry merely bared his fangs and turned back to the fight at hand. The ladies Henry fought seemed desperate to get to Abe so that they could kill him and eat him. But his friend defended Abe. That means he was left with the task at hand.  
He kicked the weaker of the two to the ground. Despite his vampire strength, the man still fell. His skull cracked sickeningly on the steps leading up to the stage. He did not rise, but he was not dead. That left Abe with the woman. Her eyes were murderous and black as coal. With painted claws outstretched, she charged at him.  
Abe turned and grabbed a candlestick, desperate for a better weapon, and turned around, brandishing it like a knife.  
It sunk directly into the woman’s chest, through were her heart would be. Her remaining eye widened in surprise. Unspoken fear conquered her features and she grabbed Abe’s biceps for support when her knees buckled. With one last cry of pain she fell dead.  
Everyone seemed surprised. Henry glanced over the two bodies Abe had dealt with and the remaining vampire ladies gasped at the bloody sight before them. Abe shook violently. He had never killed anyone before, and he hoped desperately that this was all a nightmare. Something he could wake up from, the rotten blood on his hands was cold and sour, but it was still a reminder of the violence he was responsible for. How had this even happened?  
“Abe.” Henry said, his voice cutting through his train of thought. “Finish off the other one.”  
His head spun at the very thought. The vampire on the steps was weak, bleeding black sludge from splits in his skin. He was on his hands and knees, crawling away. For a creature so strong, he looked so weak. The man looked over his shoulder and hissed at Abe, fangs bared threateningly. The gesture was empty, mostly a scare tactic. But Abe knew the vampire would still try to fight him if he went after him. How could Abe kill a man so weak and desperate?  
“He’s not a man.” Henry said, as if reading his mind. “He’s a monster wearing the face of a man. They would have killed you. They will try again. They will kill others. Men, women, and children. This is your cross to bear.”  
Abe looked down at the cross in his hand, spattered with rotten blood from the violent bludgeoning he’d used it for. This was his church. He came here every Sunday. He was christened here, baptized by the priest on this stage. The candlestick in his other hand, he polished it with his youth group as a teenager. This was a holy place. A second home. Now it was a gorefest. The cross. His cross to bear. These were monsters in the house of god.  
Before he could lose his nerve, Abe walked over and finished the job, crushing in the vampire’s skull with a good drubbing.  
The women screamed in fury. Abe turned around and looked at Henry’s handiwork for the first time. Their faces had been shredded, there were visible tooth marking on their necks. There was severe bruising around their eyes and cheekbones like Henry had thrown punches. Henry was no better than them, with even more bruising on his face and chest, long cuts on his arms, and his clothes just as destroyed as Abe’s. Beneath the bruises the women’s eyes were full of murder.  
They stood in stalemate for a long time, staring at each other. Sizing each other up. Who would make the first move? Would they keep fighting? They were evenly matched in numbers. Two against two. Both parties sustained heavy injuries. The women were eyeing the silver weapons in Abe’s hand. Everyone took a sharp breath when the woman with short hair advanced, but the other took her sleeve, stopping her.  
“We’ll be back for you.” She said. The two walked out of the church together, dripping black blood the whole way and not even looking back.  
Henry let out a heavy sigh and leaned against the pulpit, using it as a wall and sliding down to the ground. He sat there, head laid back against it and eyes closed. He looked like he’d been through hell and back, with all those injuries. But he didn’t even look like he was in pain. Mostly he just looked exhausted.  
“Aren’t you going to send me after them?” Abe asked.  
Henry cracked open an eye and looked up at Abe. “Do you want to go kill them?”  
“Not really.” He admitted.  
“Sit down, will you? And put those bloody things down. Relax.”  
Abe was incredulous. He just had a battle that resulted in the death of two vampires. Vampires. Monsters were real. All of his childhood fears had just been validated. He was covered in rotten blood. He had violently bludgeoned two people to death in a church. Why on earth would he relax? He, of course, said none of this out loud and did as he was told.  
“Well, that was sloppy. But not bad for a first timer.” Henry said. “You’ll be slaying vampires like a pro in no time at all.”  
Again, Abe was blown away. “What? Who said I was doing this again? Who said I was EVER going to do this again?”  
Henry scoffed like he was an annoying child who asked a stupid question. “You heard those women. They’re going to be back. Vampires don’t stay down for long. I’d say if we were very fortunate, they’ll be gone for a week. And that is a generous estimate. They’ll be back, hungry for your blood and deadlier than ever. Besides, do you really want vampires on the loose in your town?”  
“_You_ are a vampire!” Abe shouted.  
“Yes, and I also saved your life.” Henry replied pleasantly. “That’d be, what, the third time now? If we’re counted your past life.”  
“Again with the past life thing. Are you guys being serious?”  
“Serious as the grave.” Henry snarked. “Unfortunately, vampires are rarely anything _but_ serious. We aren’t exactly known for our sense of humor.”  
“I can’t believe this.” Abe said. “You’re out of your mind.”  
“Nope. Just dead.” Henry said. “Are you going to help me?”  
Abe paused. He’d been dreaming about Henry every night for five days. Dreams he now felt comfortable calling memories. As crazy as it seems, those dreams would make much more sense if he was really recalling memories from his past life. If he was to believe that was true, Henry was his friend. His very close, very dear friend. And he _had_ saved his life before tonight. Henry’s eyes were closed again, his body sagging against the pulpit. Entirely vulnerable. He had put down the candlestick and cross, but they were right by his side, he could pick them up and finish Henry off right now if he wanted to. Henry could do the same. Kill Abe right now and feast upon his cadaver. But something told Abe he wouldn’t. He wouldn’t kill him. He wouldn’t even defend himself if Abe tried to betray him. His vulnerability was staggering for such a supernaturally powerful creature. All of Abe’s instincts told him to take a leap of faith.  
With a heavy sigh, he took the leap. “Fine. I’ll help you kill vampires.”

=========================================  
That fateful night had been a terrible one. By the time Henry and Abe stood again the morning was fast approaching. Two corpses laid on the ground in the church. Though it wasn’t Sunday, that didn’t mean the church would remain unoccupied. There was a daycare in the church, a cheap one. Well loved by the working mothers of the community and always full of children and caretakers. Abe’s heart raced once more when he looked over the brutalized bodies of the two vampires.   
“What are we going to do about the bodies?” Abe asked anxiously.   
“Well, I agree we can’t leave them here. That would probably cause more alarm than strictly necessary.” Henry agreed. “I don’t think we can do anything about the blood in the time that we have. But the sun hasn’t risen yet. We have a few more hours until daylight. That should be enough time to carry them out of here.”  
“_Carry_ them out?” Abe said. “Are you mad? What if someone sees us?”  
“This isn’t a city. Most people aren’t out or awake at this hour. Not many people to begin with. Besides, we’ve got no other options. I think the old pastor would die on the spot if he were to come across this.” Henry glared at Abe. “Are you going to help me carry them or not?”  
Abe was frustrated and disgusted by the idea. But unfortunately, Henry was right. They had no better options at the moment. He refused to let the daycare children see dead vampires in the church. “I’ll take the redhead; you take the man.” Abe grunted.  
Carrying the dead bodies was not fun. Especially with the bruising and open wounds he had. Abe panted and staggered under the weight of the woman on his shoulders. Henry seemed unmoved by the gaping lacerations and heavy bruising he had sustained, and carried his vampire with grace. God damn lousy undead and their super strength. Abe was going to kill him once they disposed of the bodies.   
The pair made their way to the woods on the outskirts of town, weaving between alleyways and dark access driveways in the hopes of remaining unseen. Abe felt spikes of paranoia under each streetlight they passed. The flickering yellow glow dimly illuminating their path to safety. Henry was silent, looking about and listening for danger. Abe felt comfort in the idea that if there were people about, at least he’d have Henry’s warning.   
Finally, they stepped off the streets and into the woods. For a while they followed the beaten path, worn hiking trails that cut through the thinner trees. But then Henry took a sharp turn and stepped off the trail into the woods. Abe followed unquestioningly. He kept his eyes on the ground, stepping over roots and stones and the occasional patch of poison oak. The trees grew thicker the longer they went, the canopy drew tighter and tighter until it stifled the light of the moon. Abe was in near complete darkness with a vampire. The thought made him panic silently until Henry abruptly stopped walking.   
“We’re here.” He said, dropping his corpse. Abe gladly followed suit, rolling his shoulders with a grimace. Henry set about moving in the dark. It was clear that he could see what he was doing, whatever that was. But Abe could not. He sat on the ground and squinted in the dark. He heard clunking and rustling and heavy thuds in the night. Then suddenly there was a red spark of light. A tiny one. Then a small flame. A tiny orange glow that served as something for Abe’s eyes to focus on but did next to nothing to light the rest of their environment. But over the next ten minutes it slowly grew, fed and encouraged by Henry and his kindling. Until a roaring bonfire was there. The light crawled up the trunks of the trees and slowly tapered off into darkness. The eerie flickering cast Henry’s face in frightening shadows that seemed sinister. The fire was large, the logs set up a circle that Abe would guess was seven feet in diameter. The flames were taller than Abe himself and suddenly he was afraid of a forest fire.   
Henry sat back, satisfied with his work. “Alright, Abe. Are you ready for a cremation?”  
And so, Abe assisted Henry in throwing the bodies onto the fire. The smell was nasty, but the bodies burned supernaturally quickly. Their bodies seemed to dissolve as quickly as kindling in the roaring flames.  
“Why are they burning like that?” He asked the vampire beside him.  
“They’ve been dead for a long time. Vampires are cursed with unmatched longevity. But their bodies don’t last long when left unoccupied.” Henry explained. “We may be strong, but we are rotten and hollow inside.”  
Abe had nothing to say to that, instead sitting silently beside Henry and watching the remains shrivel in the flames. The raging inferno burned through its fuel quickly, and by the time the sun rose over the treetops there were only embers left. Fatigue quickly caught up to Abe. Without the adrenaline of fighting or body disposal he was left drained of all the energy he’d used to accomplish those tasks. He slumped over, heavy eyelids fluttering, and passed out.   
Henry felt a shock run over his whole body when Abe leaned into him, asleep. Predatorial eyes passed over his sleeping friends, scanning his injuries. Abe was very different than the person he had been before. He was filthy, scratched, and bloody. He was shivering in the cold morning air, which is when Henry realized that the fire had gone out and Abe’s shirt had been destroyed in the fight. He was going to get a cold from the temperature. Or an infection from the open injuries. He had to get him home, or to a hospital.   
Finally, Henry picked Abe up, holding him close and walking through the trees to a nearby stream. Frogs called from stones and tiny silver fish glittered in the morning light. He set Abe down on the stones lining the water, which were warm from sunlight. Using the tattered remains of his shirt he cleaned Abe down. The cold water helped to loosen the tacky blood dried on his skin and scrub away the dirt in his wounds. Vampire blood was nasty stuff, and the shirt he’d been wearing was not going to come clean after a couple of spot treatments. He tossed it aside after using it to clean Abe.   
The bruising was unfortunate but the face was the same. Young and fresh as Abe had been when Henry first met him those many years ago. America was a different place back then, a truly troubled place. Abraham had put it on the right track. He was no longer Abraham. Just Abe. A young, modern man with an old-fashioned family and shiny ideals that betrayed a certain naivety. Really the same as when Henry had met him for the first time. Over time Abraham had grown jaded and unhappy. He never really got over the loss of his son. He never forgot the death of his mother or the unhappiness he’d seen. Death followed Abraham everywhere by the end of his life. Abe had been freed of that burden, sent back to square one. Not as wise or as mature, but shiny and happy like he’d been before the war. Henry worried that he’d already ruined things for Abe again. He was so young.  
But he couldn’t worry about that now. Abe was a good fighter, but he needed some training. To refine the skills he’d mastered long ago. Henry wondered if somewhere those skills he’d taught the boy were still present. Dormant inside of him. He’d have to test the theory later.   
Henry washed himself quickly. Going back to town smelling the way he did would be suspicious. His bruising looked normal enough. He pulled the tattered shirt on his chest a little closer, hoping to hide the unusual wounds he sported and the unnaturally dark color of his blood. If he was lucky people wouldn’t ask questions. Now wasn’t the time to worry about himself though. He had to get Abe to a doctor.   
He hauled Abe off of the rocks and onto his back, carrying him back towards town. The dying embers of their cremation fire left behind. The corpses destroyed and forgotten in trees so thick the secret would not be carried off by the wind.


	5. Life taking a turn for the surreal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Abe is losing it. His world has been turned upside down and there's no going back. But he's not alone on his journey into the unknown. How is he going to handle this sudden change in his view of Henry, and of himself?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bro go back and reread chapter 4 if you're reading this after this chapter was recently posted. I forgot to copy-paste one part of the chapter, or maybe it screwed up in translation. You might have missed part of the chapter. It wasn't terribly important, just them disposing of bodies and stuff. A bit of plot. Some emotions. Good shit. Enjoy chapter 5!

Abe woke up in the local urgent care. Bright florescent lights stung his eyes, which had been immersed in darkness for the past several hours. He sat up, forgetting his injuries. He remembered when he felt the tug of bandages wrapped around his chest and ribs. His hands flew up to touch the bandages, probing gently to check his levels of pain. Relieved when there was none. Seems as though the doctors had already medicated him for pain. These suspicions were confirmed when we ran a fingertip over the catheter in his arm.  
He looked up, expecting to see Henry sprawled out in one of the chairs provided for visitors and family members, only to see his sleeping family. Henry was nowhere in sight. Abe let out a sigh. He couldn’t tell if he was relieved or disappointed.  
“Mom?” Abe called; his voice slightly hoarse from waking. His mother stirred immediately, eyes bright and delighted to see her son awake.  
“Abraham!” She gasped, leaning forward to grab his hand. “Thank god! I was so worried about you.”  
His father gave a stern expression. “We wake up and you’re not in bed. Get a call that says you’re in urgent care with Henry. Got attacked by coyotes he says, what were you going out in the woods so late at night?”  
“Just went for a walk.” Abe said, dizzy with the information. Coyotes, that’s the story he came up with? “You know how I’ve been having trouble sleeping.”  
“Oh, Joseph! Can’t you see the boy is tired? He’s had a long night.” His mother had let go of his hand and was now fussing over the bruising on his face. “Oh Abraham! This is terrible.”  
“It’s just bruises mom.” Abe mumbled tiredly. “I’ll be okay.”  
“I didn’t think coyotes in this area were so aggressive.” Abe’s father grunted. “We should set out traps for those vermin. Kids play in those woods. If they can hurt a strapping young man like Abraham then it’s not safe for the kids or anyone else.”  
His mother gasped. “Oh dear, the children. Maybe we should warn the parents in the area.”  
Abe didn’t know how to reassure his hysterical parents. Or how to warn them of the real danger. They’d probably assume he’d hit his head if he said it was real life vampires. Maybe _he_ should assume he’d been hit in the head. But he knew he wasn’t going crazy. Those dreams the past few nights felt so real.  
“This community gets more dangerous every year. Did you hear that someone vandalized the church the same night you got attacked? Poured some foul liquid all over the stage and the carpets and even the cross! Just shameful.” His mother said, now brushing stray hairs out of Abe’s face. He pushed his mother’s hands away gently, kissing her knuckles to try and soothe her.  
“What the hell even happened last night? They broke the damn door hinges. That church door is no plywood crap. That was a maple door. Whoever it was was determined to get in there. But nothing was stolen.” Joseph sighed. “This town gets crazier every year, I’ll tell ya. Mary quit coddling the boy, he’s fine. They gave you a tetanus shot, some kind of pain meds, and antibiotics. You take them every twelve hours on the hour.”  
Abe nodded, desperate to stop talking about this.  
“Thirty-eight stitches. Damn coyotes.” Joseph said. “Stay in the damn house next time.”  
With that they signed the release forms and Abe was allowed to leave the office, prescription in hand and a new uncertainty he’d never felt before.  
The community was in a state of unrest, people stared when Abe walked past and whispered of his injuries. Animal control vehicles were parked along the streets outside the woods. Police and biohazard teams gathered around the church, inspecting the vampire blood left behind. As bad as that all was, Abe was glad they’d disposed of the bodies. Vampire blood was bad enough, but a murder in a small-town church? The community would be in crisis. Abe kept his head down and wondered when the next attempt on his life would be.  
Despite the nervousness, that night at the Lincoln household was otherwise uneventful. Mama Lincoln made a mean stew and they all ate in relative silence. She fussed over his split lip and gave him a dose of cold medicine in the hopes that he’d have an easier time getting to sleep. Abe laid in bed and went to sleep twenty minutes after the cold medicine had set in, making sure his bedroom windows were locked and the curtains drawn. Though he had no silver weapons, he did have a silver vase his great grandmother once owned in his room. He emptied it of flowers and water and kept it by his bedside. Its long, skinny neck would be a good handle for bludgeoning if he needed it in a pinch.  
Sure enough, that night vampires were knocking on his windows. Abe woke up to the sound of inquisitive tapping on the glass behind his curtains. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and was quiet while he thought of what to do. If this were an attack they wouldn’t knock, or wait for him to arm himself, so Abe assumed it was Henry outside. Abe armed himself nonetheless before peeking through the curtains.  
Speak of the devil. There he was, wearing apparel that was entirely different from what Abe had ever seen him wear before. In dreams or in reality. A thick leather coat hung on his shoulders, with a dense knitted sweater underneath, dark green in color. He wore pants Abe could only describe as leggings, black and thick enough to keep out the cold weather. Heavy leather boots came up to mid-thigh, laced tightly and lined with some kind of insulating material. His trademark round sunglasses poked out of his jacket pocket.  
Abe looked him up and down in disbelief. He looked handsome in the garb, but Abe couldn’t help his expectation of loose cotton shirts and suspenders. That’s what he wore in every dream Abe had of him. Henry tapped on the glass again, impatient this time, before Abe remembered to unlatch and open the window. A fully-grown vampire stepped into Abe’s room.  
“Not going to wait for me to invite you inside?” Abe said half-jokingly while he locked the window again.  
“That’s a fairy tale. Don’t bother locking that, we’re going out. Get dressed.”  
Abe scoffed. “Have you seen me lately? I just got thirty-eight stitches. Can you give me a break?”  
“The remaining vampires who attacked you are not going to wait on your behalf.” Said he, like Abe was being stupid again. “They heal much faster than you do. You are going to have to be ready when they come back for you. They may bring reinforcements. There’s no guarantee I’ll be there to save you this time.”  
He wrung his hands in frustration, wishing he could strangle Henry. Unfortunately, vampires didn’t need to breathe. Abe groaned.  
“My mother is going to kill me!” He hissed as quietly as he could, mindful not to stir her. They were just down the hall.  
“We won’t be gone for very long. I promise we’ll be back before sunrise.” Henry unlocked the window and began climbing out, looking back with a look that plainly said _are you coming?_  
Abe quickly scrambled about his room, throwing on a pair of thick socks, some jeans, a warm sweater, a winter jacket, and the boots he had in his closet. There was a pair of gloves in the pocket of his jacket. He slipped them on his hands before he followed suit, climbing out onto the roof of his house. The porch was directly beneath them, something that made Abe’s room slightly colder than his parents’ room. But it made it perfect for sneaking out at night. The columns that held his room up had decorative trim and the banister on the porch below meant there was something to climb down on. Add the woodpile to the mix and there were perfect conditions for climbing down. He’d used this passage many times in his teenage years to go into the woods at night and drink with his friends. Now Abe wondered if it was a safety issue with the vampires gunning for him.  
The pair climbed down and their feet landed safely on the grass. Henry placed a hand over Abe’s chest, gently urging him not to move. He sniffed the air and listened carefully before nodding and beginning to walk. Abe drew his hood up over his head before following. Henry walked so lightly, every step was careful and stealthy. He seemed to give no thought to this skill. Abe silently wondered if this was something all vampires picked up over time, or a power they had intrinsic to their undead qualities. As he wondered about this, Henry led him over crosswalks and the graveyard to the more populated side of town.  
“I thought we were going to the woods.” Abe whispered.  
“Stop whispering.” Henry said at normal speaking volume. “We’re going to my domicile.”  
“What? I thought we were training.” Abe said, ignoring the strange word choice.  
“Tell me, what is the point in training without a weapon for you to handle?” He replied. “You are never going to punch a vampire to death. We’re getting you the best weapon a hunter could have.”  
The streetlights were closer together in this part of town. As opposed to the quiet, isolated ranch the Lincoln family lived at, this was the shopping district. Full of 24-7 pharmacies and convenience stores. Supermarkets with glowing neon signs stood next to small wedding boutiques. Anything you needed could be found on this street. Just a few blocks down was a neighborhood full of cheap apartments and rental houses. Farther down was a trailer park. Henry walked right past the apartments and down towards the trailer park. Abe followed silently, observing the colorful lawn decorations the residents put out for Halloween.  
Henry’s trailer was at the very end, partially hidden by blackberry bushes and chain link fencing. Abe realized Henry probably put those things up on purpose for privacy. His shutters were drawn shut and, though neatly kept, the trailer looked dreary. It had no lawn decorations or homely touches.  
Keys jingled when the vampire pulled them out of his pocket. He used the keys to unlock four locks on his door. Clearly he wanted to keep people out. Finally, he opened the door and let Abe inside.  
The inside was homier than the outside but had very few personal touches. The bed was unmade, covered in plain white linens and a maroon comforter that looked as though he bought it a long time ago. There was nothing in the kitchen that suggested he ever cooked, but liquor bottles and beer cans covered the majority of the counter space. Abe could see another bottle on the nightstand, sitting nearly empty next to a loaded handgun. The lights were dimmed, the couch vacuumed thoroughly. A laundry basket laid at the foot of his bed, filled to the brim with unwashed clothes. The few decorations he had seemed to be antiques. Probably centuries-old if Henry’s undead status was anything to go by.  
“Have a seat.” The vampire urged, stepping over his laundry basket on the way to the closet. The couch looked clean so he did as he was told, kicking his feet up and closing his eyes. He’d had such a long night last night. Why was he even here? He vaguely noted Henry rummaging around in the closet. Couldn’t the guy give him a break for one bloody day?  
There came a sharp sound, like a blade being drawn from its sheath. Abe opened his eyes and saw Henry holding a large axe. Sharpened, with a glossy wooden handle. It looked very old, but was still in pristine condition.  
“I took this after you died. Put something on it to protect the wood. Kept it in good shape. This was once the rail-splitting axe of the president.” Henry said. “It technically belongs to you.”  
Abe sat up, making eye contact with Henry. “You really do believe that I’m _the_ Abraham Lincoln.”  
“I don’t merely believe that. I’m certain of it.” He replied smoothly. “You are just like him. It’s uncanny. When I first met you, I thought I was seeing things. But I see the same things in you that I did in him. And so, do the others. You are destined to be a great hunter.”  
“I heard rumors that Abraham Lincoln was into the occult.” Abe said, steadying himself on the armrest of the couch. “Just from some crazy people online. Conspiracy theorists mostly. You’re telling me Abraham Lincoln was a vampire hunter?”  
“He wasn’t just any old vampire hunter.” Henry spat passionately. “He was the greatest vampire hunter in history. He nearly succeeded in wiping vampires off the face of America.”  
Abe blinked, startled by his sudden emotion. “But not you?”  
Henry paused, quiet and reserved again. “He was my closest friend.” He finally answered. “And I was his. I taught him the secrets of slaying vampires. When I met him, he was a petty boy, consumed with revenge. By the end of his life… He was a very different man.”  
Unsure of what to say, Abe stood up and took the axe from Henry. He stood there a moment, feeling its weight in his hands. It felt disturbingly familiar. Natural, balanced. It was like Henry had handed Abe a piece of himself he didn’t know he was missing. “I had dreams about you,” Abe said suddenly. “It was nothing mostly. Us training in a wood. You telling me about the stars. At one point you killed some man preying after a prostitute.” The confession kept on coming. “I never had them before I met you. I didn’t know about all this. It’s like you’ve unlocked some weird part of my brain. Maybe it’s more than my brain, I don’t know. You’re a god damn vampire, what do I really know? Maybe it’s fate or destiny or magic or God. It could be anything. But I feel like I’m tied to you know by forces outside of my own control.”  
“I think.” He sucked in a breath. This is really where he was going crazy. “I think you’re right. I think I really _was_ Abraham Lincoln in a past life.”  
Henry was staring at him. His expression was stoic and unreadable. Abe broke out in sweats. Was he being weird? Was Henry just tricking him somehow? Maybe he had hit his head a little too hard during that vampire attack.  
But before he could start backpedaling Henry smirked. “Then maybe you already know how to use that axe.” He said. “Training should be easy. Let’s start right now.”  
“Right now?” Abe asked, his voice coming out in a squeak.  
“Yes. Right now.” Henry stepped back, squaring his shoulders and bending his knees. “You’re going to try to kill me, Abe.”  
With that, Henry turned out the lights, and the trailer was immersed in darkness.


	6. Combat and Caginess

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Henry finally begins to understand more about Abe. Abe begins vampire training. There's tension and fighting and drama. Enjoy the next riveting installment of Things Left Unsaid, a resurrection story!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By the way, those notes at the end, no matter WHAT I do the notes I put at the end of the first chapter are always present. I can't fix it. Please ignore them. AO3 glitch I guess.

Henry had an unfair advantage in combat. He could not only see in the dark, but he was faster and stronger than Abe could hope to keep up with. Almost instantly after the lights went out Abe found himself under siege. He cried out when he was knocked to the ground.  
“Come on, Abraham.” Henry said. Not mocking or stern, but sounding rather excited. “Get back up. You’ve got to be able to fight the unseen. You knew this once. You’ll know again.”  
Abe’s mind was racing. Henry was as good as invisible. He vaguely remembers a dream where Henry mentioned vampires turning invisible. They had him at a disadvantage on this front. But Abe had other senses. The best of these being his hearing. Abe struggled to his feet, knees shaking slightly. He could feet his stiches tugging at the wound. He had to be careful not to reopen them. Tightening his grip on the axe, he readied himself for the next attack.  
He had only a split second to react. He heard the slight creak of the floor when Henry shifted his weight, ready to pounce. Abe swung his axe in that direction. There was a crack of the wall being destroyed under the blade and Abe cried out in pain when Henry hit his knees from behind. He crumpled to the floor again.  
“Damn it, Henry! You’re going to open my stitches!” He shouted, checking his bandages quickly.  
“That wasn’t half bad.” Henry purred, ignoring Abe’s complaints. “You nearly took my head off. Very good.” The lights flicked on and Abe winced. He stood back by the light switch. Brown eyes twinkling with pride, creased at the edges with a smile. “You’re a fast learner. You want to try again?”  
Abe glanced at the alarm clock on the night stand. It was three in the morning. “I’ve been out of home for too long. I have to get back before my parents notice I’m missing.”  
Henry sighed; smile gone. “Very well. I’ll take you back. But I’ll be taking you out to the woods again tomorrow. First thing in the morning.”  
“The woods? My parents think I got attacked in there. My mother would lose her head if she found out I was going back there!”  
“Abe, you are an adult! A young adult, but a man nonetheless!” Henry snapped, frustrated. “State your independence! You are a man. You are going to be a vampire hunter. You are going to train with me tomorrow! Your mother cannot tell you what to do for the rest of your life. Sooner or later you’ve got to walk your own path.”  
“She has every right to worry about me. I didn’t ask to be a vampire hunter!” Abe shouted. It’s been a week since I met you and ever since my life has been chaos! What is wrong with you? Do you ruin everyone’s life you come into contact with?”  
Henry scowled. “Don’t say that. You know it’s not fair. Being a vampire hunter isn’t something you asked for. It’s something you are. It’s your destiny to do this. You are going to save many lives.”  
“What about my life?!” Abe said. “What about what I want?”  
Suddenly Henry’s face was murderous, eyes wide and eyebrows drawn together angrily. He grabbed Abe by the sleeves and pushed him against the door. Abe was taller than him, but the vampire still affectively caged him in. He was suddenly reminded of exactly who he was talking to. The warm brown eyes were dark and bloodshot, completely drained of life. The predator had him trapped. Abe’s axe dropped uselessly to the floor.  
“Get out of my house.” Henry growled.  
Just as suddenly as he’d arrived, Henry was shoving Abe out the door, opening it behind him and letting Abe spill out onto the steps. He cried in alarm as he fell in a heap on the grass. Then gasped in fear when Henry threw his axe down beside him. The blade buried itself in the dirt mere inches from his ear. The ends of his curls were cut off entirely. Henry’s furious face was all he could see.  
“I am coming to your house at six sharp tomorrow.” Henry snarled. “I expect you to be ready and dressed for training by then.”  
Then the door was slammed, and Abe was alone in the cold.  
==========================================  
Henry sighed. For some reason he felt… disappointed. He grabbed one of the many opened bottles on his kitchen counter and upended it into his mouth, greedily drinking it’s contents. Then he smashed it against the sink.  
“Shit.” He muttered, feeling the foul running through his desiccated veins into the stainless-steel basin. With shaking fingers, he turned on the faucet and ran cold water over the new cut. Who gave a shit? He never cared about pain anyway. Pain was something vampires felt, but had grown accustomed to. It was like background noise to Henry at this point. Nothing mattered anymore. Since the thrilling days of the civil war life had gone to shit. Back then nobody went looking for the missing. The world was a broken place. People felt justified in owning slaves. Their negroes, their women, their children. Everyone was just exploitable labor to someone on top.  
But the fights were the best of his life. And he had Abraham, his ever-loyal friend. A self-sacrificing hero who never did anything but improve people’s lives. He was an honorable man. As honest as stories told of him, despite the secrets he kept. Because in the end he was a man of his word. That’s all you could ever ask of mortals. Mortals weren’t like the dead. They weren’t bound by rules and limitations. They could and would do anything they set their minds to. They weren’t forced to keep promises or live clean lives. Many didn’t. But he did.  
Henry sighed, once again turning his mind to Abe. In many ways, he was just like Abraham. He couldn’t stop seeing Abraham. It was elation to have him back in his life. His existence had been empty and boring since Abraham died. Every day he was torn between regret and grief, wishing he’d just turned Abraham immortal on his deathbed. Despite knowing how wrong that would’ve been, it was guilt that ate him inside for letting Abraham die. Abe was young and bright and innocent. And in many ways, he was just like Abraham. But the more Henry got to know him, the more Henry realized that Abe was not a replacement for the Abraham he’d lost. Abe didn’t have the relationship with Henry that he’d had with Abraham. Abe didn’t have the experience his friend had. And despite his apparent dreams of recollection, he didn’t have Abraham’s memories. Now instead of feeling like he’d gotten a second chance with his friend, Henry felt haunted by him. Taunted by a phantom just outside his reach.  
It tore him apart to realize this.  
He needed another drink.  
After a good fifth of a bottle of vodka Henry sat down on his bed, absolutely hammered. He wasn’t being fair. He was treating Abe like he was Abraham. He was abusing him when he failed to live up to those expectations. He was being curt and bossy when he had no right to. Henry was practically a stranger to him, for Christ’s sake. He’d met Abe a little less than a week ago and he was already screwing things up.  
Henry laid his head back, curling up on his side and drawing the pillow under his neck. That memory Abe mentioned. He remembered telling Abraham about the stars. It was a clear summer night, not a cloud in the sky. Perfect for star gazing. They’d had a long day of training and Abe had finally succeeded in beating Henry to hell. He remembered being proud. So proud he could hardly contain it in his usual snarky stoicism. He woke Abraham in the middle of the night and dragged him out into the open world to explain the order of the heavens beyond their quaint corner of the universe. Abraham held onto his every word, his eyes and voice soft. When Henry looked over at him, he realized his growing fondness for Abraham. He realized his feelings ran deeper than a teacher to a student, or even the bonds of friendship. Henry had fallen in love with his warm companionship. With his passion and strength. Henry was in love with Abraham Lincoln for the first and only time since his wife.  
But the world wasn’t kind to that kind of love. A world of slavery was not ready for a homosexual couple. There was no guarantee Abraham would take kindly towards a declaration of these feelings. Henry was too caught up in their training, in their deep friendship to ruin it with his silly infatuation. He wouldn’t lose Abraham to hatred. In the end, he never told Abraham how he truly felt.  
That was another thing Henry came to regret. Abraham became dedicated to Mary and to the country. Eventually towards the war. After Abraham caught him draining that alley rapist of blood their friendship was never quite the same. And he never even got a chance at what could have been one of the most passionate romantic experiences of his eternal life. Even if he’d been rejected, he should have been honest. He wished he could have at least told him. There were so many things Henry never got to say to him.  
Henry knew that regret was unavoidable. If he was going to live an eternal life than he would have infinite regrets by the end. But if he was going to try it again with Abe, he was going to try and avoid making the same mistakes he did before. Whatever higher power there was had decided to give Henry a second chance, and he wasn’t going to let it pass him by.  
Even if friendship was all he got in the end, or rejection, Henry would at least get the chance to tell Abe that he was in love with him.  
==========================================  
This task, as it turned out, proved to be an impossible one. Abe was flighty and quiet the next morning when Henry turned up to take him to training. He could only guess that it was because of his aggressive behavior the night before. Crushing regret hit Henry when he realized what an asshole he’d been. He was just a boy. His actions were inexcusable. Henry briefly considered cancelling their training altogether, but decided against it when he thought of those two surviving vampires Abe had been attacked by. They were strong. Stronger than expected, even for the undead. Which meant they were powerful and there was no guarantee there weren’t more. Training Abe to fight was the only way of assuring his safety when Henry wasn’t there.  
Mrs. Lincoln was exceedingly kind and welcoming, having him sit at their kitchen table with a fresh scone while Abe got ready. Mr. Lincoln was quiet but approving of Henry’s presence in their home.  
“Thank you so much for taking my son to the hospital.” Mrs. Lincoln gushed. “I can’t imagine what would have happened if you weren’t there. You can’t imagine what this means to me as a mother.”  
Henry smiled politely. “I understand. It was no trouble at all, Mrs. Lincoln.”  
“Oh please, call me Mary.” She said. “What is taking that boy so long? Abe! It’s not polite to keep people waitin’! So what are y’all doing again?”  
“Well on my first day working at the cider distillery Abe offered to show me around town. I’ve decided to take him up on his offer.” Henry said smoothly. He tactfully avoided mentioning the woods. Mrs. Lincoln would probably be put off by the idea of her son going back to the very same woods he was supposedly attacked in.  
“Haven’t found your way around yet?” Mr. Lincoln asked.  
“Not entirely. Besides, I figure a local would be aware of all the best places in this town.”  
Thankfully Abe entered the room, saving Henry from having to come up with more excuses.  
“Good morning, Abe. Are you ready to show me the town?” Henry said, quickly signaling to him what their excuse was.  
“Ready as I’ll ever be.” Abe said, smooth in a way that surprised Henry. He lied with ease. “Bye mom, I’ll be back before dinner.”  
Mrs. Lincoln smile and showed them to the door. When the door was shut behind them Abe’s demeanor changed. His at ease smile disappeared and his shoulders tightened. He shrunk into himself and looked nervous. Henry was shocked again.  
“Do you always act like that in front of your mother?” He asked as they grabbed Abe’s new axe from its hiding spot; the tarp on top of the wood pile.  
The two began walking towards town, leaving Abe’s house behind. “Well, she’s a great woman. But she worries a lot. Probably more than necessary. Or at least more than justified by her observable reality.” Abe glanced over quickly, then looked away when he met Henry’s eyes. “That, aaah… _coyote attack_ really set her off.”  
Henry nodded knowingly. “Mothers are just like that. At least mine was.”  
Abe stopped walking, staring at Henry and finally meeting his eyes. “I never thought about the fact that you had a family once.”  
“Yes. And a wife. Centuries ago.” Henry said. “No family since.”  
“Romantic partners?” Abe probed.  
Henry sighed. “Well, depends on how you define that. I’ve had sexual partners. I’ve gone on dates. I’ve never loved any of them.”  
“Well, have you loved anyone since your wife?”  
_Only one._ Henry thought. “Yes.” He said curtly. The short way he said this told Abe he wasn’t going to get any more information on that. He asked no more questions on the subject.  
The town was busy as it was before. Police went from door to door asking questions about the church vandalism. Vans advertising a cleaning service were parked outside the church. Other then that the community seemed to be at ease. People went about doing their daily shopping and children played in their yards. However, there were no children in the woods that day. The news of the recent coyote attack deterred parents from letting their children wander too close to the woods. People looked sympathetically upon Abe’s fading bruises and whispered among themselves. Abe didn’t mind the gossip. He had known the people of this town all his life. He knew that their looks were looks of concern. He left them to their harmless behavior. However, the curious looks at the axe in his hand were more of a problem. Rumors spread fast in this town. Abe only hoped they wouldn’t reach his mother before he came up with an excuse.  
The two men stepped into the woods unnoticed. Because the forest was unoccupied, it was perfect for vampire training. Henry looked up at the sunlight filtering through the canopy. The green of sunlit leaves was beautiful in the early morning. He thought of the last time he’d done this. Abe had been Abraham then. Not much older than he was now. His heart ached at the though.  
Abe started exhibiting jumpy behavior about now. He was startled anytime Henry addressed him and seemed lost in thought. Henry was irritated by this behavior. What could possibly be so distracting?  
Meanwhile Abe was dwelling on his dream the night previous. After Henry expelled him from his house Abe had gone home, clutching his axe in terror of being attacked. Getting home had been a great relief. Abe had hidden his axe, climbed back into his room, checked his closet and under the bed for vampires before locking his windows and collapsing into bed. Sleep took him quickly and the dream following had been… rather interesting.  
It had started like many other dreams he’d had lately. With Henry. But something was different. Unlike the other dreams before it seemed ungrounded in reality. Like experiencing a dream within a dream. The setting seemed to be fuzzy around the edges, but it still felt like a memory. Henry was the same as he always was. Tall, dark, handsome, and entirely too sure of himself. Every inch of him exuded smug confidence. He sat across a bonfire, a fish roasted over the flames, Abe could hear a train in the distance.  
Suddenly Henry was on top of him, the moment from when he was sitting across the fire to when he was sitting on top of Abe seemed to fall through. Again, with the sultry little smirk he always wore.  
Then they were kissing.  
Abe was confused, even in the haze of the dream, but for whatever reason he accepted Henry’s probing tongue into his mouth. Abe didn’t taste or feel what the inside of Henry’s mouth was like, but he heard himself groan. Their fingers twisted together. Henry was deepening the kiss.  
Abe bolted awake in a cold sweat, panting and twisting the fabric of his sheets in clenched hands. He tried to go back to sleep, but found himself unable to. So, he stayed awake for the next few hours, watching the moon set and the sun rise.  
The dream was unquestionably strange. Not just because of its contents, although that was unquestionably one of the reasons, but also because of its qualities. The surreal feeling that reality was unhinged was something that wasn’t present in any dreams he’d had before. He’d always been silently sure that they were real events. Memories recalled from a distant past. But with this one he was confused. He was fairly sure that it was a memory. But it didn’t seem like a real event. The gaps in between events, the blurred edges, the strange behavior Henry exhibited led Abe to believe that it wasn’t something that really happened. So, what was that?  
“Abe.” Henry snapped. Abe jumped at his name, shocked out of his thought process. “What are you thinking about? Why are you so distracted?”  
His mouth moved independent of his brain, working to produce sounds, but nothing came out except for some unattractive, exasperated noises. Henry’s face twisted in confusion. Abe tried again, sputtering idiotically while desperately racing for an excuse.  
“Get it together, Lincoln.” Henry said. “You can just keep it to yourself if it’s that bad.”  
“It’s not bad!” Abe shouted.  
Henry raised his eyebrows. _Very convincing._  
Abe shut his mouth, unwilling to make himself look stupider than he already had. Henry’s eyes had a brief flicker of humor that was quickly stifled.  
“We’re here.” Is all he said in return. Abe looked around and realized he was right. They were in the same place they’d been before. The ashen logs from the cremation fire laid in the middle of the clearing. Abe felt rather unsettled at the thought that somewhere in those burnt logs were vampire ashes.  
Henry turned to Abe, expectation on his face. “Okay. This is your first real day of training. I am not going to pull tricks on you like I did last time. And I will try to refrain from lashing out at you if you fail to meet my expectations. So stop looking so nervous.”  
He showed Abe over to a patch in the woods, just beyond the clearing. There were fallen logs, piles of leaves, Henry placed his hand over Abe’s chest to prevent him from walking forward. Abe tried to ignore the pounding in his chest at the touch. “See that in the leaves?” Henry said, pointing below them. Abe searched the leaves for signs of something hidden, and saw a silver gleam. Some serrated metal was hiding in the brush.  
“Coyote traps. Thanks to our little excuse, the woods are full of them. Though they’re not as bad as they used to be, they’ll still give you a nasty gash. They won’t take off your leg, too many children were hurt like that. But they’d be best to avoid.”  
“Okay.” Abe said. “So there’s none in the clearing, right? We’ll just fight out here.”  
“No. We’ll fight in the trees.” Henry said.  
“What?! But you just—”  
“I said they’ll be best to avoid. That’s your challenge. To fight vampires, you’ve got to be quick and light on your feet. You can’t trip or screw up, or you’ll meet certain death.” Henry grinned. “Are you up to the task?”  
Abe groans, making Henry smile wider. “Well, I guess it’s now or never.” Abe said.  
Henry jumped lightly into the trees, landing lightly on his feet. His eyes swept over the ground and then he beckoned Abe inside. Abe hesitated, then followed, putting his foot in lightly before putting his weight on it. He held his axe in front of him, using the end of the blade to agitate the leaves and probe the ground. After he finally found a safe place to stand, he put his feet on the ground, gripped his weapon, and nodded at Henry.  
Abe found himself being attacked nearly immediately. Henry seemed to surround him from all sides and Abe found himself being hit around the head. Abe waved his axe around in the attempt to defend himself, but to no avail. Abe shifted his feet hesitantly, looking down to search for traps. Jesus, this is impossible!  
Henry seemed to be growing agitated with his inaction. “Do something Abe!” Henry said as he attacked him. “Move around, hit me, swing your axe!”  
He wanted to. It’s not like he _liked_ being beat around his head and shoulders. But he couldn’t think of what to do. Henry was moving too fast for him to attack and moving would be unsafe. Abe looked around, keeping his head down to shield his face. There was a fallen tree a couple of yards away, the entire surface was visible, meaning it was safe to step on. There were no traps on its surface. However, the path to it was uncertain.  
In a moment of unconsidered boldness, Abe began to run, taking large leaps and trying to stay on his toes. His eyes were trained on the ground, each step was quickly calculated and Abe was running across the unsafe forest floor in no time. Henry pursued; Abe could hear his light steps behind him. Abe took another large jump and threw his arms forward to balance himself. His feet slipped against the wet bark. He waved his arms around gracelessly, further unbalanced by the heavy axe in his left hand. But Abe bent his knees and stayed on the log, finding his balance as quickly as possible.  
Not a moment too soon. Henry was upon him again. But Abe was ready. He thrust his leg out ang kicked Henry square in the chest. Henry stumbled back and Abe swung his axe at him. He had to jump to avoid the arch of the blade. Abe drew his weapon back and prepared to swing again, but Henry was ready, advancing quickly and grabbing Abe’s arm, pushing it back and gripping hard. It was hard to keep a handle on his weapon with Henry squeezing his wrist like that. Abe swung his fist, punching Henry square in the jaw, then bringing his knee up tripping Henry, who fell forward into Abe’s chest.  
Henry was still holding Abe’s wrist in a vice like grip. Abe yanked his hand down, attempting to free himself of his grip. But Henry was too strong. Henry glared at Abe through his sunglasses and squeezed harder, trying to get him to drop the axe.  
Abe then threw himself forward, pushing Henry back. The edges of Henry’s feet slipped along the edge of the tree. This gave Abe the advantage. He finally freed himself from Henry’s clutches. Now that he was free, he tossed his axe, throwing in through the air. It flew, handle over blade, towards Henry, and caught the edge of Henry’s sleeve, pinning him to a tree behind him.  
This was met with a delighted grin. “Wow. That was great. I can’t believe you kept your balance on that wet tree.” Henry said, ripping the axe away and freeing himself. “You weren’t that good when I first trained you. I think you retained some of the instincts I beat into you.”  
“Lucky me.” Abe deadpanned in between heavy breaths. “Maybe less beatings this time around?”  
Henry laughed heartily, handing Abe back his axe. “Maybe. I can’t believe you threw that thing at me. You could’ve killed me.”  
“Sorry.” Abe said earnestly.  
“Don’t be. You _could_ kill me, but I doubt you would.” Henry sighed. “Otherwise you would’ve done that a long time ago.”  
“Would I?” Abe asked breathily.  
“Eh. Probably not.” He admitted. “Abraham was always a good guy. Too good. I think he considered it, but I don’t know if he could’ve gone through with it.”  
He sounded pretty sure of it. Once again Abe turned his thoughts towards his strange dream. It’s unusual qualities and it’s ambiguous status. He briefly considered asking Henry if they had ever kissed and quickly decided against it. It would be a ridiculous question and he would probably be so embarrassed he wouldn’t be able to ask it. Besides, the thought of them kissing made him feel weird. He decided against it. He didn’t want to know. At least not for sure. Maybe he’d just agonize over it for the next week. Yeah, that sounded like a good idea.  
Again, Abe was lost in thought. Henry felt the irritating itch of unsated curiosity. Abe was being cagey and obtuse. This was a new quality it seemed. Henry could not remember for the life of him Abraham being this nervous and evasive. Naïve, for sure, but cagey was never something Abraham had been. He wondered if this was a result of Abe’s new family and upbringing or a result of modern life influencing his pre-existing personality. Abraham had been secretive, but straightforward about the things he did speak of. Earning him his famous moniker, Honest Abe.  
Honest Abe indeed.  
“So…” Henry drawled. “Are you willing to tell me _now?_”  
He was not. Abe considered. He couldn’t ask Henry about their romantic prospects in his past life. But that didn’t mean he could ask questions _related_ to his dream. It might answer other questions Abe had about this reincarnation business as well.  
After a moment of thought, Abe decided on a safe question. “What do you know about reincarnation?”  
Henry sighed. “I knew you’d ask eventually. But not much. I didn’t know reincarnation was _possible._ I don’t know if this is your first time being reborn since I last saw you. I don’t even know why you have such a similar name. It’s possible that reincarnation has a genetic component. Are you by any chance related to Abraham Lincoln or his extended family?”  
“Not that I know of. But I suppose it’s not impossible.” Abe replied. “I have dreams. Dreams where I recall memories of my past life. So far, they all center around you. Why is that?”  
“Maybe it’s because I’m the only person from your past life that you’ve met thus far.” Henry said. “You said that these dreams only started _after_ you met me. Which suggests that my presence in your life has awakened something in you. It’s not a bad guess. But unfortunately, all we can do is guess. I cannot say if there are any experts on reincarnation. Only people who’s religious beliefs center around it. Maybe Buddhists would be more equipped to answer these questions.”  
“Does that mean if I met more people from my past life, I would have more dreams?” Abe asked.  
“Maybe, Abe. I don’t know.” Henry sounded rather exasperated. “What are even the chances of something like that happening? You weren’t friends with that many vampires. So, most people you knew were mortals. If you were going to meet someone from your previous life it would have to be someone else who has also reincarnated. What are the chances that everyone you ever knew before is somehow in Springfield, New York?”  
Abe considered this. Then finally asked; “About my dreams, is it possible that I could have a dream about a dream I once had?”  
Henry looked confused. “Like… A dream from your life before?”  
“Yes. A dream I had in my other life. Is it possible I could dream about it in this one?”  
He stared at Abe, searching his face for some sign that would give away what he was thinking. “Yes. I think that’s possible. You can remember dreams. You have dreams of recollection. Where you are able to reminisce on memories from your past life. Why would dreams not be included in that?”  
What an interesting thought. Abe sat down near the charred logs from their cremation fire. That would explain the dreamlike qualities of the memory, the strange behavior Henry exhibited, and the pieces that didn’t seem to fit together. Did he have wet dreams about Henry in his life before? His face grew hot at the thought.  
This did not go unnoticed by Henry, who squinted suspiciously at the behavior. “Are you _blushing_?”  
“Don’t worry about it!” Abe insisted. “Is that all the training we have today?”  
Henry sighed. Cagey bitch. “I suppose we can go a few more rounds. Get up then.”  
Abe may have dodged the question, but after careful consideration, dodging fists probably wasn’t any easier.


	7. Plan Making

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well, boys, I'm back on track. Had some school work, some finals, then a break after school. Happy new year! Happy new fanfiction arrivals. I'm gonna try to be better about updates. I'm sure anyone actually reading this will be happy to hear it. Anyway onto the gay vampire fic!

“Ah! Damn!” Abe swore, straightening out his spine and rubbing his back.  
“Still in pain?” His mother asked with raised eyebrows. “It’s been a week. I’d figure you’d be better by now.”  
“Uh, yeah! I guess muscular injuries take a while to heal.” Abe said. “Don’t worry too much mom, I’ll be better soon.”  
“Leave him be, Mary. He’s a tough young lad.” His father grumbled. “His face looks much better.”  
Abe quietly ate his brussels sprouts while his parents fussed over his condition. His injuries from the vampire attack were _much_ better. But new bruises had appeared from his daily pummeling from Henry. Add that to the soreness of his well-exercised muscles and he was thoroughly beat. Though he was noticeably more toned. He got stronger and faster every day, accompanied by strange exercises meant to confuse him and make him tougher.  
It worked as planned. Abe, often confused by Henry’s strange strategies, was learning to think quicker. His muscles were stronger. But bruises crawled down his back and he was having a hard time finding a comfortable way to sleep.  
Every day his muscles hardened. But Henry seemed to be growing softer. Less pushy, less reserved. More animated and friendly. Abe welcomed this new change in his friend. The more they talked the more Abe began to welcome their daily training sessions. Even if he got his ass kicked every time. But he was getting better. Closer to beating Henry every time. He looked forward to the day he finally knocked Henry on his ass.  
Henry didn’t leave his mind the moment he left his sight though. The vampire plagued his dreams at night. Some were obviously recollections. Others… not. He didn’t know what to think now that he was having dreams of Henry unrelated to their past life together. They were often confusing, and Abe found he didn’t remember most of them upon waking. But he always remembered the cold sweat and disturbed feeling once he gained consciousness. He didn’t know what happened in the dreams to inspire that cold feeling. Curiosity ate at him in his waking hours.  
Abe finished off his plate and smiled. “Great dinner, mom. Thanks. I should be getting up to bed.”  
“Already? It’s only 6 o’clock, Abe. Watch the news with us.” His mother said with a frown.  
He considered it. It was suspicious, now that he thought about it. The fact that his bedtime had gotten earlier and earlier over the week. He used to watch TV with his parents before heading into his room, then sleep for hours before finally turning out the lights. That and the fact that he often didn’t seem rested after supposedly spending hours asleep. He could afford to set aside some time for the evening news. If only to assuage his mother’s anxiety.  
His parents had grown steadily more curious into his life. Especially his growing friendship with Henry. Abe talked of him often and they knew that their son spent time with him. His father seemed to be glad that Abe was spending time with young men his age. Asked if this meant he’d bring home a girl soon. His mother bothered over the idea that he and Henry might get into more trouble. Abe promised that he’d stay out of the woods and out of any more danger. His mother was a little neurotic, but she was tough, brave, and loved her family selflessly. Abe loved his mother with all his heart. He could stand to spend some time with her too.  
So, they sat and watched the local evening news. It was the same usual stuff, weather report, rundown of national news and state politics, traffic reports, but there was another interesting story among the fluff.  
The man newscaster looked sternly at the camera. “Five children sent to the hospital with shortness of breath and irregular heartbeats have been diagnosed with severe iron deficiency. Parents raise concerns over whether this is caused by something in the environment or lacking diets. We recommend parents of the area to take their children in for blood tests. It’s better to be safe than sorry. Alex, back to you.”  
“Iron deficiency? You kids don’t eat enough red meat nowadays.” His dad said. “When you were a kid all you wanted was chicken tenders.”  
“My. I’ll have to start making steak again.” His mother said firmly. “Give us a head start. Dear, let’s schedule a doctor’s appointment for ourselves. Abe, I recommend you do it too. Next time you go in to get your injuries checked. Might as well. Better safe than sorry.”  
Abe had his mind on other things. One kid having iron deficiency wasn’t too suspicious. But five all at once? He worried that the vampires might be making a comeback. It was only a matter of time before they started preying on the townspeople. Abe was thankful it took them _this_ long. Gave him a head start. Maybe now they had a fighting chance at beating them. Drive them out of town before others got hurt. He had to contact Henry right away.  
The news dragged on for a while, filling the hour until 8 o’clock. During that time Abe engaged in the menial banter usually associated with family pleasantries. This mother talked of church, his dad made occasional political comments about the news, Abe said that they should break out their winter wear in preparation for next week’s weather. Eventually they parted ways, having fulfilled his obligation to spend time with his family, his thoughts again turned to vampires. The five children in the hospital. Possible victims of vampire attacks. Abe had his suspicions, but he had to confirm it before going on a hunt.  
Abe sat in bed, fully dressed with his boots on, ready to escape through the window as soon as his parents settled in. He listened to the water running while they brushed their teeth, their footsteps down the hall, their bedroom door closing. He counted the minutes, waiting for ten to pass by before he was sure they were settled in. Then he opened the window and stepped out onto the roof.  
The walk to Henry’s trailer was faster now. He knew the shortcuts by heart, and he no longer felt anxious passing through the dark neighborhoods. He stepped through the gate into Henry’s yard, walked up the path, and knocked softly on the door.  
There was no noise inside, but Abe knew he was there. He was probably looking through the peephole right now.  
The door opened after a moment. Henry’s eyes bright in the dark. “You’ve come because of the children.” He said. It wasn’t a question.  
“You watch the news?” Abe asked.  
“Well newspapers are obsolete. Get with the times, Abraham.” Henry teased lightly.  
Abe wanted to smile, but there was only one thing on his mind. This wasn’t a time for small talk. “Is it vampires?”  
Henry’s face was unreadable, he opened the door more to let Abe inside. He stepped in quietly and the door shut behind them.  
“I’m certain it is.” Henry answered once the door was locked. “We knew it was only a matter of time before they resurfaced.”  
“Yes.” Abe agreed anxiously. “The only question is why they started attacking children instead of coming after me?”  
“They know you’re stronger since they last met you. You’ve honed your combat skills. They wouldn’t be foolish enough to engage you on their own. They want to weaken you, lure you into a trap or make you act senselessly. We need to be tactful about this. You know the nature of their threat.”  
“But we can’t afford to spend time dallying either.”  
“Dallying? Abe, you’re in your twenties. Update your vocabulary.” Henry said. “I agree, to move slowly is to lose the advantage. But we can’t go charging outside vampire hunting. It’s a small town. We don’t know where they are. Which means they always have the opportunity to get the jump on us. And if they’re discovered… they won’t leave witnesses. This must be done in secret. Never leave the house unarmed.”  
“I haven’t left my house unarmed since I learned vampires were real. Are you kidding me?” Abe had his axe, of course. Which was a beautiful weapon, it had range, weight, power. But it was a little hard to conceal a lumber axe. So during the day he carried his pocket knife, which Henry had been kind enough to plate in silver.  
“That’s very wise.” Henry said. “Most people think that humans are paranoid, but there’s a reason you have an ingrained fear of the dark. Instincts are a powerful thing. Never ignore them.”  
“Noted.” Abe replied. “So, what’s the plan?”  
“We need more intelligence before we attack. Maybe we can grasp their whereabouts. Vampires are good at blending in, but people are observant. They notice things and don’t even realize it. Asking around casually will get you farther than you’d think.” Henry grinned. “Got any friends, Abe?”  
Abe felt his ears warm up. “Not many.” He said casually.  
“Well, now’s as good a time as any to make some.” Henry said cheerily. “Come on, it’s strange for a young man not to hang about with people his age.”  
“I’ve never been that good at socializing.”  
Henry’s smirk only grew. “You weren’t before, either. Do you recall your courtship of Mary Todd yet?”  
Abe shook his head. Henry hooted with laughter. “Trust me, you were never socially graceful. But you did always have a way with words. I guess she warmed up to you in the end.”  
This brought the memory of Henry at a formal event rushing back. He’d known it to be his wedding for some reason. That’s right. Mary Todd Lincoln. He’d learned in school that she’d been the wife of president Abraham Lincoln. It was strange to think now that she’d been _his_ wife once.  
He put the thought out of his mind. For some reason he didn’t want to think of it.  
“So, make friends. That’s good. But once I recall you telling me that vampire hunting would be a life of solitude? No friends, no connections… no distractions.”  
Henry’s brow set in a hard line and he sighed. “This is for information. Besides, I was wrong back then. Your friends were the ones who helped us win the war against vampires. Your wife was the one who took the silver to the south. They fought beside us. They were trustworthy, good people.”  
Then he gave a smile that seemed strange to Abe, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. “Humans can never be alone. It was unreasonable of me to expect such a thing of you. You need each other. We all need each other. Vampires need humans, humans need each other, animals need plants. Everyone relies upon someone.”  
“Who do you rely upon?” Abe asked before he could stop himself.

Henry was quiet for a moment. Then he said “my hunters” lightly. Like Abe shouldn’t press further. It was the final answer. Just a short ways away from the _you_ that Abe had been pathetically hoping for.  
“Make new friends. You demand much of me, teacher.”  
Henry winced. “Please don’t call me that.”   
Abe laughed before getting up and opening the door. “No promises.” He said and shut the door behind him. He should head home. No sense in staying too late. He had a busy day tomorrow.

**Author's Note:**

> Holy shit this will be a doozy. I never expect anybody to actually read this. Why the hell would anyone be reading a god damn Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter fanfiction in the year of our lord, 2019? Or any time before or after that, for fucks sake. But I'm writing this because I enjoy it! And I'm always pissed off that Abe x Henry fics always involve Henry turning Abe out of love. I think it would be the opposite! So I'm writing my own. Besides, that's not the only way for them to be together. Let's go on a journey together!


End file.
